Idiopathic Interstitial Cystitis (Ranty)

Charlie has had recurring issues with FIC for years. Like a good owner(So I thought), every time I found blood in her urine I would bring her to the vet, have her urine checked for bacteria and crystals, and bring home a round of medication, usually prednisone and/or clavamox. Over the years I've put thousands of dollars into this...the last time she had a flare-up she was hospitalized overnight and sent home with fluids, antibiotics, probiotics, a steroid AND a painkiller. Administering all of those to her over the next weeks has totally RUINED our relationship. It was over a year before I could even touch her again, and only in the last few weeks has she been willing to sit in my lap and cuddle like she used to....even then, it's only occasionally, and if I shift my weight at all she panics and flees.

Last night she peed on a plastic bag, and it was blood tinged. I panicked remembering the last time, and I cried thinking how she would never let me near her again if we had to go through all of the trauma we did before.

Then I talked to my current vet. He looked at her records and noted that I've run her urine six times, and none of those times has she had any bacteria or crystals present. He told me that for kitties whose FIC flares up like this regularly with no discernable cause, signs tend to resolve within 7-10 days regardless of whether you treat them or not...and furthermore, the stress of pilling/giving fluids can exacerbate the flare-up....so he doesn't recommend any treatment unless the flare-up doesn't subside in the next week or so. I got the impression that he thought the vet who hospitalized her and sent her home with five meds was nuts, though he didn't say that outright. He recommended lots of wet food on a regular schedule, clean litterboxes, and lots of one-on-one playtime to help keep her from being stressed.

I'm so....I don't even know. Furious, feeling like I was ripped off at the last hospital, and my relationship with Charlie ruined for nothing but their greed. Elated, that we don't have to go through it again and she's going to be OK. I was even thinking this morning that it might be kinder to put her to sleep rather than force a gajillion meds down her throat for weeks. Frustrated, I felt like I was doing the right thing for her by putting her through that whole mess over and over, only to find out that it was all unneccessary.

This evening she is playing with me (yay!) and refusing her wet food (she's a kibble lover and will only eat wet food if she's ravenous and there's nothing else available) and seems to be feeling well. When it's painful she gets antisocial and hides, so I think she's not too uncomfortable.

I feel like I failed you Charlie-Bear, I promise I'll do better from now on!

Some vets, like doctors, tend to only treat symptoms and not the cause, because its easier and you get "immediate" results. You are 100% NOT TO BLAME. You aren't a vet, how could you have known?! Thankfully it seems like your vet now is a little more knowledgeable, although even I'm not a doctor but after six UA's and no sign of bacteria or crystals every time, after the SECOND UA came back negative (occasionally you will have a mild UTI that just doesn't show on a UA so you will treat with antibiotics to see if it helps) I would investigate other causes. Six times with no bacteria/crystals... clearly something else was going on. Shame your previous vet didn't seem to want to dig any deeper to find other causes... but glad your current vet does!

Charlie's urine has almost no blood in it today. (She pees in the sink so it's easy to monitor this) and she even climbed in my lap for a brief cuddle, which is rare enough to make me tear up when it happens. I'm going to drop by my vet's office with a homemade pumpkin pie on Monday. I'll also be sending a (polite) letter to her former vet.

I'm sorry to hear that Charlie is still having these health problems but I'm so glad to hear that you now have a vet that knows how to treat her condition. I bet that stress is causing this and hopefully she'll start feeling better soon. I'm glad to hear that her urine is almost blood free now.

Oh, dear Charlie, I am so sorry you had to go through all that excessive unnecessary treatment. We are so glad you have a good vet now. We are sending along our hopes and prayers that good health returns and you regain your trust for your Purrrson, who loves you so much and is so sorry for the mistakes that were made.

God bless!

I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
Death thought about it.
CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE.

Oh Snakemama, please don't blame yourself. When things weren't quite right you took Charlie to the vet, that's what caring and responsible pet purrents do. It sounds like your new vet knows what he's doing and doesn't want to make things worse for Charlie by stressing her out. I'm sure with time and patience Charlie will be an affectionate little love muffin again. Please give her some reassuring lovies from me?

I had a foster cat with this. The vet proscribed glucosamine and chondroitin, which apparently has anti-inflammatory properties. Lacey did very well on it, and has not had a flareup in years. She's 16 years old.

Thank you everyone. Charlie's urine is almost totally back to normal now (I never thought I'd be thankful to have a cat who peed in the sink!). I'm still sad to think of how much unneccessary stuff I put her through, but hopefully my good intentions will outweigh her trauma in the end. Last night she played with the "Da Bird" toy when it was out, even leaping to catch it a couple of times, so I think she's feeling pretty good.

Smokey, I googled the use of glucosamine and chondroitin in FIC cats after I saw your post and found a lot of good info that says it might help, so I'll be buying her some "hip action" treats tomorrow. Thanks for the tip!! Any excuse to give them more treats is a good one!